Aug. 11, 2005
Media Advisory
To: News Directors and News Editors
From: Veronika Avery, Assistant Director of Media Relations, 342-5444, vavery@ulm.edu

Convocation at the University of Louisiana at Monroe is a time to welcome back returning students and freshmen (the class of 2009) and to officially open the academic year. It is set for Monday, Aug. 22, the first day of fall classes.

The event begins with faculty, staff and students gathering at the library bell tower at 4:30 p.m. ULM's marching band, The Sound of Today, then leads a march across the Bayou DeSiard Bridge and enters the coliseum followed by all participants. Once in the Coliseum, the semester is declared open and students get a chance to sing the alma mater and fight song, and hear from the president and others. Grovestock follows Convocation at 6 p.m. with food, music, and fun for all in the Grove. Everyone is invited.

This year the guest speaker at convocation will be Mike Tidwell, author of Bayou Farewell. Tidwell's book about Louisiana's receeding coast line, was the first selection in ULM's Summer Reading Program.

Author and filmmaker Mike Tidwell has been active in environmental causes for more than a decade. Tidwell's most recent documentary film - "We Are All Smith Islanders" - details the dangers and solutions associated with global warming in Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. In 2002, Mike founded and now directs the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to fighting global warming in the region through the promotion of clean, renewable energy. Last year, in recognition for his clean energy work, he received Audubon Naturalist Society's prestigious "Conservation Award." Tidwell is also a writer whose five published books include Amazon Stranger (detailing efforts to save the Ecuadorian rainforest) and Bayou Farewell.

Tidwell's Bayou Farwell was the inaguaral book for the ULM Summer Reading Program. This program combines a collection of events surrounding a common theme that introduces students to the ULM learning community. New ULM students read the selected book over the summer as their first university assignment, and will discuss it in freshman English, Freshman Year Seminar (FRYS), and other classes across campus. The program's goals are to provide students with the opportunity to participate in their first common intellectual experience, to introduce them to the university's academic life, and to enhance the sense of unity among students, faculty, staff, and the community. All are invited to hear the author speak at Convocation on the first day of classes.

While Tidwell is in Monroe he will be speaking to classes at ULM and will sign copies of Bayou Farewell at the ULM Book Store on Tuesday, August 23 from 10 a.m. until 12 noon. Refreshments will be served. Everyone is invited.

Please visit the ULM homepage, www.ulm.edu, for more information on convocation.

For this and other ULM news online visit www.ulm.edu. While there, check out ULM's on-line calendar for all of ULM's upcoming events.